How Terrified Should We Be?

After every terrorist attack we go through a period of overwhelming fear that we will individually be the target of terrorism. Recently a man told me that he will avoid going to crowded areas of the city because he fears being killed by a terrorist. A woman fears flying because she fears the plane will be blown up by a terrorist. Years ago, after 9/11, a woman told me that she feared "Arab-looking men" in the subway. And, after 9/11, years ago, a family moved to Colorado from New York City because of their fear of terrorism. Fear pervaded the lives of many people and, once again, after the attack in San Bernardino, California where 14 people were killed, we hear about the threat of terrorism every hour of the day. If the New York Times says, "All the news that's fit to print," the 24 hour news channels should claim, "All the news that's fit to frighten". It's like living in a Nation of Fear. What is the Real Risk? If we look at the facts 80% of all deaths from terrorism occurred in five countries--Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria. Terrorism is comparatively a very minor risk in the United States. But that is not what you might conclude if you watch the news or follow current political discourse. What is the real likelihood of being the victim of terrorism in the United States? Consider this-- there are about 325,000,000 people in the United States. The total number of victims of terrorism in the USA (including all kinds of terrorism) from 9/11/2001 to 12/31/...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news